diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 916346b..dc8c976 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "databudgie"
-version = "2.7.4"
+version = "2.7.5"
 packages = [
     { include = "databudgie", from = "src" },
 ]
diff --git a/src/databudgie/utils.py b/src/databudgie/utils.py
index 04038a0..3521657 100644
--- a/src/databudgie/utils.py
+++ b/src/databudgie/utils.py
@@ -82,5 +82,13 @@ def join_paths(*components: Optional[str]) -> str:
         return real_components[0]
 
     first_component, *rest_components = real_components
-    normalized_components = [S3Location(c).key if is_s3_path(c) else c for c in rest_components]
+    normalized_components = []
+    for c in rest_components:
+        if is_s3_path(c):
+            normalized_c = S3Location(c).key
+        else:
+            normalized_c = c.strip("/")
+
+        normalized_components.append(normalized_c)
+
     return os.path.join(first_component, *normalized_components)
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4611e70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+from databudgie.utils import join_paths
+
+
+class Test_join_paths:
+    def test_one_component(self):
+        path = join_paths("/first")
+        assert path == "/first"
+
+    def test_first_component_absolute_path(self):
+        path = join_paths("/first", "/2nd")
+        assert path == "/first/2nd"
+
+    def test_non_first_component_absolute_path(self):
+        path = join_paths("first", "/2nd/")
+        assert path == "first/2nd"
+
+    def test_bad_first_component(self):
+        path = join_paths(None, "/first")
+        assert path == "/first"
+
+    def test_no_components(self):
+        path = join_paths(None)
+        assert path == ""